I've collected these pet treat recipes over a period of the past 20 years, have tried them all, and cats and dogs have liked them all. Of course, we've been owned by a few that would eat just about anything, so that may not be the best judge of them being wholesome. A couple recipes were "tweaked" by me for our fussy little Pomeranian, and if I knew the source, I noted it on the recipe. When sitting in vet's offices, we often traded recipes with other pet owners, and I have no idea where those recipes originated.

On several recipes, I substituted the use of lard with olive oil, but left bacon fat or grease when it was called for. I know from long experience that bacon is a favorite of most cats and dogs alike, and often times, made the difference as to whether or not the pet would accept the treat. They are smart little things and cannot be easily fooled.

Gingham Dog and Calico Cat Biscuits:

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp. wheat germ

1/4 cup bran flakes

1/4 cup soy flour

1 Tbsp. molasses (unsulphered)

2 Tbsp. oil or fat

1 Tbsp. kelp or 1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sage

1/2 tsp. bone meal

1/3 cup milk or water

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together.

Knead and shape into crescents, rounds, or sticks for dogs. For cats, roll out and cut into narrow strips or ribbons.

Bake 25-30 minutes in a moderate oven (350 degrees F) until lightly toasted. Watch the narrow strips as they tend to get done sooner than the others. If the biscuits are not hard enough, leave them in the oven with the heat turned off for an hour or as long as desired.

Dog and Cat Biscuits:

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

2/3 cup water

6 Tbsp. oil

Directions:

Mix all together. Cut into shapes and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes.

Aunt Bianca's Dog/Cat Biscuits:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup powdered skim milk

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 egg, beaten

Flavoring: meat drippings, broth, or water from canned tuna (enough to make a stiff dough)

Doggie and Kitty Oatmeal Crisps:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Roll out on cookie sheet and bake until golden brown at 350 degrees F.

Kitty Cheese Snaps or Dog Bones:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup each grated cheddar and Parmesan cheese

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup unsifted whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose flour

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder

2 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 cup water

cooking spray

Directions:

In large bowl, mix cheeses with oil.

Stir in flours, milk powder, and garlic salt until blended.

Add water; knead in bowl until stiff yet pliable dough forms.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease 1 or 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.

On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out treats with cookie cutter. (For kitty snaps, use 1/2 inch triangular or round cookie cutter; for dog bones, use 3 1/2 inch cutter in the shape of a bone.) Gather scraps, re-roll dough and cut out into more shapes.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups oatmeal

1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup warm water

Options:

1/3 cup finely grated cheese,

1/4 cup peanut butter

Directions:

Mix the dry ingredients together. Then mix the wet ingredients together. Blend both mixtures until a firm dough is achieved. Shape dough into an oblong roll, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly grease sheet pan.

Slice roll into 1/4 inch slices, place on sheet pan and bake for about 1 hour or until treats are done, checking after 45 minutes, and then every 5 minutes thereafter.

I was slicing up the turkey for Thanksgiving and noticed that there was quite a bit of turkey left on the bones. It was just on parts I would not use. With all that extra, I made turkey treats for my dogs and they loved them.

Ingredients:

1 lb. of cooked turkey blended ( NO turkey skin, bones, or fat)

2 eggs

3 cups of flour

1 cup quick cooking rolled oats

1 cup water or broth*

*Note: If using broth remember that onions and garlic (raw, cooked, or powder) are harmful to dogs so it's suggested not to use it!

Directions:

In a blender or food processor, combine turkey meat and beaten eggs until well blended and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour and rolled oats and add blended turkey. Add water or broth to flour, stir till dough is sticky.

Divide dough into 2 balls. Knead each ball on a well floured surface (about 2 minutes), adding flour until the dough is no longer sticky.

With a rolling pin, roll out dough to between 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with biscuit cutter and place on lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Time should adjusted if size is different than in this recipe.

Cool on rack and store, at room temperature, in a container with loose fitting lid.

They should keep for 3 weeks, however you can freeze for longer use.

Source: Recipe is from Mac Pherson's K-9 Cookbook. I substituted turkey in the place of ground beef.

Having adopted my third "recycled" dog who is being trained, I was going through a lot more doggie treats than before. I decided to take some bread that was going stale anyway and try an experiment.

I piled up a few slices then cut them into quarters. I laid them out on a cookie sheet, lightly brushed them with healthy olive oil, and sprinkled them with garlic powder. I put them in a low oven for a bit, until they were hard and crunchy, like Melba toast. All healthy ingredients and they basically cost me nothing, I used the too stale for me bread and the dogs love them. May try flax seed next time!

By Linda from Vista, CA

Editor's Note: Most veterinarians recommend against giving your dog garlic, but there some do advocate for it. Please talk to your own vet prior to feeding dogs garlic.

Many of us have pets. Here is a way to make and preserve yummy treats for them and have them handy when you need them for that extra special trick they do. Buy a cheap roasting chicken and cook it in the crock pot. It cooks off the bone and falls apart.

Let it cool and take the good meat off and save for your favorite casserole dish, soup, chicken dumplings, etc. Hand remove all the bones. Take the extra meat left over (not really good for human consumption) and hand pick through it again to be sure the bones are gone. Divide it and put into ice cube trays. Add some of the chicken broth from the cooker. There will be quite a lot of broth. Pour into the trays compartments to add flavor. Freeze. The next day, pop them out and store in a zip lock freezer bag in the freezer until Rover does a fantastic trick that he deserves a reward for.

Ingredients

3 cups oat flour

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 large egg

water, enough to moisten

Directions

Mix ingredients together well. Form into a ball, roll out to 1/4 inch thickness with a rolling pin. Cut into desired shapes, place on cookie sheets and bake in 325 oven for 30 minutes, or until browned. Turn off oven, leaving biscuits in the oven until cooled. These biscuits may be frozen, but keep well for a couple of weeks if they are very dry and crisp.

Here is a great idea for dog treats that are easy to make, high in fiber, all natural, and your dog will love them! I started making these when my Lab got a case of chronic diarrhea and they helped a lot.

In a large bowl, combine any of these ingredients (you don't need to use them all and you can be flexible with the amounts):

1 can of pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not the sugary filling)

1 can of yams or a cooked sweet potato (rinse the yams)

1 bag of boil-in-a-bag brown or white rice

1 can of chicken

1 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries

Mix together (I use my hands, it's messy but easy). Pack the mixture in spare ice cube trays and freeze until solid. If you use the ingredients exactly as above, using normal can sizes, it will fill about 2 trays. When frozen, just pop out and store in Ziploc bags.

Good even for most sensitive stomachs and a nice, cool treat for a hot summer day. I microwave one cube for my dogs and mix with their kibble in the AM. They absolutely love them!

Our dog would constantly go after any ice cream left on the picnic table during summer and then whine if he couldn't get any. The problem is that dogs are lactose intolerant.

After checking with our vet, I started freezing small amounts of lactose-free milk and giving it to him while we had ours. He is very happy, and sometimes I put a spoonful of PB or a few dog treats on top.

I was slicing up the turkey for Thanksgiving and noticed that there was quite a bit of turkey left on the bones. It was just on parts I would not use. With all that extra, I made turkey treats for my dogs and they loved them.

Ingredients:

1 lb. of cooked turkey blended ( NO turkey skin, bones, or fat)

2 eggs

3 cups of flour

1 cup quick cooking rolled oats

1 cup water or broth*

*Note: If using broth remember that onions and garlic (raw, cooked, or powder) are harmful to dogs so it's suggested not to use it!

Directions:

In a blender or food processor, combine turkey meat and beaten eggs until well blended and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour and rolled oats and add blended turkey. Add water or broth to flour, stir till dough is sticky.

Divide dough into 2 balls. Knead each ball on a well floured surface (about 2 minutes), adding flour until the dough is no longer sticky.

With a rolling pin, roll out dough to between 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with biscuit cutter and place on lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Time should adjusted if size is different than in this recipe.

Cool on rack and store, at room temperature, in a container with loose fitting lid.

They should keep for 3 weeks, however you can freeze for longer use.

Source: Recipe is from Mac Pherson's K-9 Cookbook. I substituted turkey in the place of ground beef.

Questions

I have a 15 year old chocolate Poodle and she has been diagnosed with kidney failure. The vet put her on a diet of kidney trouble food only. Does anyone have an idea of a treat that she can eat? The vet gave her "allergy treats" that are very expensive. She is eight and a half pounds.

How much vitamin E would I add to a basic dog biscuit recipe in order to preserve it and extend the shelf life? How do I acquire the vitamin E? The only form of vitamin E I am familiar with is the capsules that you can purchase at health food, grocery stores, or pharmacies.

My daughter wants to sell homemade dog biscuits to friends, family, and some small businesses, but we need to try and be sure they will not go mouldy for a reasonable period of time (a number of weeks).

I am looking for some quick and easy homemade dog treat recipes. I'm not very good at working the computer to find these things so please email me any recipes.

I have one recipe: 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup peanut butter and 3/4 cup milk. Mix until moistened then knead for 5 minutes, roll into balls and use a fork to criss-cross cookies just like you would for regular cookies. Bake 350 for 20 minutes and cook completely.

My dogs LOVE them but I would like more recipes. I hope your dogs like these, please send me some recipes. Thank you.

Most Recent Answer

Making homemade dog food is not hard, but will take some time and effort. There are many recipes available, which include beef, chicken, rice and vegetables to name a few. You can find more information here: http://www.homemadedogfoodrecipesguide.com

Most Recent Answer

You can use Prescription Diet K/D canned food and cut it into slices as it comes from the can. Bake it in a slow oven (I think it's about 200-250) until dried and firm. Cool on a rack and refrigerate. These can be broken after cooking or cut before for smaller dogs. Probably no the cheapest way but it's easy. Also, Science Diet sells biscuits for kidney disease.

Most Recent Answer

My recipes call for baking and letting them dry over night, but I have found that the ones that have oil, and or eggs in them will get moldy if I do not keep them in the frig. Here are (2) you can try.

Liver Snack

1 pkg. liver1 cup wheat flour1 cup cornmeal (not sure of temp. I just bake at 325 F till hard, and dry them over night). These really smell up the kitchen!

I also grind oatmeal and substitute 1/2 of the wheat flour. I have some more recipes if you or anyone would like them here is my e-mail leekelly245 AT gmail.com sent a request. My big boy Zues loves his cookies!

Most Recent Answer

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.2. Whisk together the molasses, peanut butter, water, and vegetable oil.3. Combine the oats and flour. Slowly add to the wet ingredients.4. Mix thoroughly, drop tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet, and press down.5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm. ---They will keep well for 2 weeks in air tight container, make sure they are totally dried before putting in container or they will mold. They can be frozen as well.

This is another recipe I use often, I even grab a cookie or 2 for myself when I'm on the run.

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.2. Blend together the pumpkin puree, molasses, water and vegetable oil.3. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda to form a soft dough.4. Roll the dough into balls, put on a baking sheet, flatten them, and prick with a fork.5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until hard and crisp.

I am looking for a yogurt dip recipe for dog treats that will harden and keep even out of the refrigerator. If you have one, please let me know.

Thank you,Cindy

Most Recent Answer

By Dannie (Guest Post)04/22/2006

I'm not sure about the yogurt, but you could get some candy melts (Wilton makes some and they are available at Walmart and Michael's),melt them and dip the treats. As long as it isn't chocolate (and these aren't) they will be OK for dogs. The melts come in pastels, too ;-))

RE: Homemade Dog Treats

RE: Homemade Dog Treats

My siberian huskies were getting fat so i started giving them snacks of carrots and apples. Both of them like the apples, but only the female will eat a carrot. The male looks at me like I have got to be kidding. When I have time, I make them meatballs of ground turkey, rice, some bread crumbs, and mashed veggies. Then I cook them until they are pretty hard. They love them.

RE: Homemade Dog Treats

RE: Homemade Dog Treats

I have had problems in the past finding low sodium or salt free dog food for my aging doxies, so I started making my own. I usually use ground turkey mixed with some ground beef, browned and add cooked brown rice to make a nice mixture. Sometimes, I add mixed frozen vegetables and a package of brown gravy mix made to package directions. they love it. Check out this website too. http://www.i-love-dogs.com/dog-food-recipes.html

*** Maybe you're celebrating a special occasion in your pup's life. Maybe you love to cook and want to experiment with new recipes! Here are some basic recipes for homemade dog treats -- I'd love to hear about any variations you try.

The Basics

3 1/2 cup unbleached flour

2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup skim milk powder

1 tablespoon (or 1 package) dry yeast

3 1/2 cups lukewarm chicken or meat broth

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm chicken or meat broth. The richer this broth is, the better your dog will like the biscuits. Let yeast broth mixture set 10 min. Mix together the flours, cornmeal, and milk powder. Combine the yeast broth with the flour mixture.

Roll resulting dough out approximately 1/4" thick. Cut dog biscuit shapes from dough -- this is a good time to use those cookie cutters! Brush biscuits with egg wash if desired. Bake on greased cookie sheets at 300 degrees for 45 min.

The One-Step-Above The Basics

Optional:

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside. Mix wet ingredients. Blend wet and dry together until you get a firm dough. Shape dough into a roll, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for one hour.

Slice roll into quarter-inch pieces and place on greased baking sheet. Cook at 300 degrees for about an hour. Let them cool before sharing with your pup!

These will get you started... but be creative! You can always add boullion to water in any recipe to add more beef or chicken flavor. Just be careful -- some dogs are allergic to beef or wheat. And never EVER use chocolate!

RE: Bake Your Own Dog Treats!

Well sounds good and easy enough. Cookie and Oso will try these out soon. (04/26/2006)

RE: Bake Your Own Dog Treats!

My dog is allergic to wheat, and if there is a way to make treats with out it I would love to know. She loves "cookies" (dog biscuits) but I have had to go to rawhide. Thanks so much (04/26/2006)

By octoberbabye

RE: Bake Your Own Dog Treats!

octoberbabye: try to make a recipe using oatflour (pulverize oatmeal in your blender, but be careful not to burn the motor), rye flour, buckwheat, spelt flour, quinoa flour, barley, or millet flour. You can find these at your health food store. I'm sure your baby would love the treats. (04/04/2007)

RE: Bake Your Own Dog Treats!

This is great, my chis just love them. (04/08/2007)

By George

RE: Bake Your Own Dog Treats!

Re Wheat Allergy - I made rice based treats that my little dog adores: Take equal quantities by weight of uncooked short grain rice and chicken liver. Cook the rice until soft, allow to cool a little, then mix with the raw liver in a food mixer (or use a stick blender). Spread about 1cm/.5 inch thick on non stick trays or silicon sheet, and bake at 150 centigrade for half an hour or so, then leave in a VERY low oven (100 c or so) overnight. Break into small pieces and store in a polythene bag or air tight container (07/12/2007)